by Siim Land
(g)
Net Carbs
(g)
Protein
(g)
ACS
Coffee, 1 Cup
1
0
0
0.3
LowATG
All Teas (Green, Black, Etc), 1 Cup
2
0
0.4
0.2
LowATG
Almond Milk, 1 Cup, 8 oz
60
2.5
8
1
nTOR
Almond Water, 8 oz
55
0
15
1
nTOR
Coconut Water, 1 Cup
80
0.5
20
0
nTOR
Coconut Milk, 100 g
230
24
6
2.3
nTOR
Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 tbsp
3
0
0.1
0
LowATG
Distilled Vinegar (30%), 1 tbsp
3
0
0.1
0
LowATG
Kombucha, 1 Cup, 247 g
34
0.6
5.8
2.9
nTOR
PROTEIN SHAKES
Whey Protein Shake with Water, 1 Scoop, 32 g
98
0
4.9
20
HiTOR
Rice Protein Shake with Water, 1 Scoop, 32 g
103
0.6
3.4
22
HiTOR
Hemp Protein Shake with Water, 1 Scoop, 32 g
113
3.4
7
12.6
ModTOR
Pea Protein Shake with Water, 1 Scoop, 32 g
113
0.5
2
25
ModTOR
Micro Greens Blend with Water, 1 Scoop, 32 g
20
1
21.5
nTOR
Alcohol
Beer, 350 ml
154
0
13
1.6
nTOR
Red Wine, 5 oz
120
0
3.7
0
LowATG
White Wine, 5 oz
120
0
3.7
0
LowATG
Champagne, 5 oz
96
0
1.5
0
nTOR
Bud Light, 12 oz
110
0
6.6
1.1
nTOR
Gin, 1.5 oz
98
0
0
0
LowATG
Vermouth, 1.5 oz
64
0
0
0
LowATG
Rum, 1.5 oz
77
0
8
0
nTOR
Vodka, 1.5 oz
104
0
0
0
LowATG
Cognac, 1.5 oz
104
0
3
0
nTOR
Tequila, 1.5 oz
104
0
8
0
nTOR
Chocolate Liquor, 1.5 oz
155
0
17
0
nTOR
Mint Liquor, 1.5 oz
155
0
17
0
nTOR
Drink Timing Dissected
When you’re fasting, then the only drinks you can consume are water, sparkling water, minerals, salted water, black coffee, teas, and apple cider vinegar.
During meal times, it’s not advisable to drink a lot of liquids because it will hinder digestion. If you drink a lot of water with food, then it can lower stomach acid and can cause indigestion, bloating, or even intestinal permeability. The same post-meal.
Don’t drink anything at least 15-30 minutes before eating, minimize liquids during the food, and wait at least 30 minutes to an hour after you eat before drinking again.
In terms of alcohol, you’d want to avoid it for the vast majority of time. I don’t care what longevity „gurus“ tell you, it’s not good for everyday consumption. You can get the hormetic response of ethanol from apple cider vinegar and fermented foods already and there’s no need to try and macro-dose resveratrol with drinking wine. Alcohol can be beneficial more as a relaxation agent or social lubricant. Crazy word, I know. It will help you relax and wind down, which is why some people in the Blue Zones have a glass of wine at dinner. For optimal longevity and performance, it’s recommended to not drink every night and stick to 2-3 drinks a week at max.
What NOT to Eat
It’s important to know what NOT to eat. In fact, avoiding the bad is much more critical than adding the good because you’ll jeopardize all of your efforts.
By subtracting from your life you will actually add more to it. This applies especially to nutrition because it’s very easy to eat just a little bit of the wrong kind of food and then suffer immensely. It’s very difficult to out-exercise a bad diet as well.
A much wiser and more strategic approach from an evolutionary perspective even would be to apply certain positive restrictions and limit your options. By focusing on only the highest quality foods and then fasting at other times you’ll greatly improve your health as well as mental well-being.
Refined Carbohydrates – These foods are processed in a way that lowers their nutrient density but increases their glycemic load and inflammation. Processed carbs like bread, candy, pastries, cakes etc can promote serious health issues.
Sugar – Clearly, table sugar is quite bad. Unfortunately, it’s added to almost every packaged food imaginable. Even „healthy meal replacements“ or „low carb bars“ may have hidden sugars.
Trans Fats and Vegetable Oils – Highly inflammatory and oxidized fats high in omega-6s and other chemicals. It’s regrettable they were considered to be healthy at one point whereas they’re actually the complete opposite.
Artificial Sweeteners – Despite their non-caloric content, they still raise insulin and promote diabetes. There are even some studies on how they cause brain cancer and tumorigenesis in rats. By all means, avoid aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, Acesulphame-K, and everything else you can’t recognize. Certain sweeteners like xylitol and stevia are okay in small amounts. Sugar alcohols like erythritol are also fine if you limit them to 1-2 times a week. However, sweeteners may disrupt the microbiome and create bacterial overgrowth. They can also make you crave more sweetness.
Grains and Legumes – They can cause gastrointestinal stress and gut issues in most people. If not the gluten from wheat, then the other phytates and anti-nutrients in beans can promote leaky gut syndrome, headaches, brain fog, autoimmune disorders, and even block the absorption of other minerals. These foods aren’t even that nutrient dense compared to something like steak or even healthy starches like potatoes. It’s not worth it to be eating grains and legumes because (1) they’re not that healthy, (2) they cause issues down the line, (3) they don’t even taste good, (4) it’s a hassle to make them more easily digestible. Avoid wheat, barley, rye, bread, pastries, cookies, cakes, beans, peanuts, lentils 90% of the time. Introduce them only a few times a year as hormetic conditioning – a birthday cake.
GMO Foods and Pesticides – They are not only poor in nutrients but also cause digestive problems. Commercial fruit and vegetables at the supermarket are laden with invisible chemicals that you don’t see. Even washing them thoroughly won’t help becau
se the pesticides have penetrated into the plant. Unless you’re buying organic, avoid the Dirty Dozen and stick to the Clean 15 list of veggies. Then again, you don’t need to be eating ’the entire color of the rainbow’ either and can safely stick to high-quality animal foods.
Commercial Dairy – Ideally, you’d want to avoid all dairy because of several reasons. It can cause inflammation and allergic reactions in most people. Compared to other sources of protein like meat or fish, it’s not that good for building muscle either and it’s too anabolic for the effect you’re getting. Fermented cheese, raw milk, kefir, and cottage cheese are okay in some amounts.
Alcohol – Although a glass or two of red wine or a few heavy spirits can have a beneficial hormetic effect, you’d want to limit your alcohol consumption 95% of the time. Definitely avoid the high carb and sugary alcohols like ciders, beer, long drinks, cocktails, margaritas, pina coladas and everything else that’s super rich in calories. Those drinks are basically the equivalent of processed fruit juices with high fructose corn syrup and ethanol.
You should apply the principle of addition through subtraction into the other areas of your life as well, such as food choices, exercise regimes, the books you read, who you spend time with, what projects you pick up, how you structure your daily routines and so on.
Bruce Lee said it correctly: „It’s not the daily increase but the daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential,” which perfectly describes the process of autophagy as well.
Instead of adding more material belongings, more calories, more carbohydrates, more micronutrients, and more responsibilities into our life, we should take a step back to focus on the vital few. That kind of a minimalistic way of thinking may seem restrictive and boring but it’ll give you the ultimate freedom to always choose your own way.
The Metabolic Autophagy Food Pyramid
Figure 85 Metabolic Autophagy Food Pyramid
The idea of the Metabolic Autophagy Food Pyramid is to eat more nutrient dense foods that have a bunch of vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids, fats, and the other longevity-boosting compounds while limiting the consumption of empty calories. It will keep the body running optimally while maintaining mild caloric restriction.
The Dirty Dozen and Clean 15
To increase agricultural output, companies are using a lot of chemicals and pesticides that would protect against parasites and insects. Unfortunately, the insectum and bacteria are much quicker to adapt to environmental changes than mammals. Most bugs become resistant to pesticides quite quickly and thus farmers are forced to use even more lethal poisons. It’s a non-stop arms race and we’re usually on the losing team.
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and crops have been shown to be quite dangerous to other animals and they’re linked to many health conditions in humans. There is no direct association but I think we know it’s there. That’s why you’d want to ruthlessly eliminate all GMOs and pesticides from your diet.
By following the principle of deduction, you’ll already avoid the majority of foods that aren’t even healthy for you. I mean, you don’t need to eat bell peppers to survive, yet they’re one of the most common vegetables that get sprayed with chemicals.
The US Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide Data Program publishes an annual report on the most pesticide-rich foods. They divide it into The Dirty Dozen and The Clean 15. Here’s a list for the year 2018:
The Dirty Dozen (Buy Organic and avoid conventional) – strawberries, spinach, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, potatoes, sweet bell peppers.
The Clean 15 (Safer to buy but still aim for organic) – avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, cabbages, onions, sweet peas, papayas, asparagus, mangoes, eggplants, honeydews, kiwis, cantaloupes, cauliflower, broccoli
Truth be told, most vegetables and plants still get exposed to chemicals and pesticides to some degree. That’s the unfortunate side-effect of modern agriculture.
The best option would be to grow your own food or at least buy it straight from local farmers who you know and trust. That way you’ll avoid the potential of pesticide contamination as much as possible. In the long run, it’s worth it to invest a bit more money into getting high-quality ingredients because your health and longevity literally depend upon it.
Another option is to eat primarily low carb and spend your money on more nutrient-dense foods instead. I mean, high-quality meat probably costs just a little bit more than organic kelp but you don’t need to eat a bunch of kelp and you’d be better off eating the meat. Kale is very over-priced in terms of its actual nutritional value. Grass-fed liver would give you much more nutrition.
Buying expensive vegetables and fruit won’t give you nearly as much nutrient density than high-quality animal foods like eggs, fish, and meat. In total, you’d end up spending much less money but getting more nutritional value.
If you’re eating a specific food a lot, then you better ensure it comes from a high-quality source. Think about it – the things you get exposed to the most will impact your health the most. Starting from the thoughts you have, the light you’re exposed to, the people you’re surrounded by, the coffee you drink, and especially the foods you put into your mouth.
If you were to invest a bit more money into making your meals higher quality, then you don’t need to detox that much or go to the doctors. Prevention is the best form of healthcare as you’ll avoid all the potential problems that may come in the future. As Hippocrates said: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
Chapter XVI
Supplementation
„You have to let it all go, Neo.
Fear, doubt, and disbelief.
Free your mind.“
Morpheus, The Matrix
This wouldn’t be a nutrition book without a chapter about supplementation. Bodybuilders, health enthusiasts, fitness gurus, and biohackers all alike are known to take different tablets, pills, and powders for improving their physical and mental performance. So it is with Metabolic Autophagy.
In this chapter, I’m going to walk you through many of the supplements we could take. It’ll include the essential nutrients we should supplement because of common deficiencies, the ones that will promote longevity as well as anabolism, and a bunch of others that give you the extra edge.
Keep in mind that nothing replaces good food and it doesn’t matter how many supplements you’re taking if your diet is imperfect. Supplementation should be considered as counter-balancing the deficiencies you may come across due to poor nutritional values of certain foods or not getting access to some ingredients.
Before taking any supplements or meal replacements, you have to do your own research as to understand the potential side-effects and abnormalities that may or may not occur. The responsibility yet again is solely on you.
Additionally, it’s advisable to take blood tests to see what your deficiencies are before adding random supplements to your diet.
The 3 Main Supplements
Let’s start off with the 3 most important supplements that most people need and what will give you the 80/20.
Omega 3s - The more omega-6 fatty acids you consume, the more omega-3s you may need. A healthy dose of omega-3s is 1000-3000 mg/day. Research shows that more than 5000 mg doesn’t seem to have any added benefits. For EPA and DHA, you should aim for a minimum of 250 mg and a maximum of 3000 mg/day in a combined dose. Eat wild fatty fish a few times a week. Taking a fish oil supplement is also optional. Krill oil might simply be a more potent and bioavailable source. Cod liver oil will be even better. Make sure to use wild-caught sources to avoid mercury poisoning. Plant-based supplements for omega 3s include hempseed oil, algae omega, and wheat germ.
Vitamin D-3 - It’s not actually a vitamin but gets synthesized into one inside the body. Vitamin D-3 governs almost every function within us starting with DNA repair and metabolic processes. It fights cardiovascular, autoimmune and infective diseases. Of course, it would be best to get it straight
from the Sun but that is not always possible because of seasonality and location. An average adult should take at least 2000 IUs of vitamin D but it would also depend on how much exposure you get to natural sunlight. The upper limit for adults is 4000-5000 IU/day. Vitamin D may become toxic with high levels of calcium or if you take 10 000-40 000 IUs/day consistently. It can be consumed as oil or in a capsule.
Magnesium - It comprises 99% of the body’s mineral content and governs almost all physiological processes. Magnesium helps to build bones, enables nerves to function and is essential for the production of energy from food. Deficiencies can drive cardiovascular disease, depression, and headaches[612]. RDA is 400 mg/day. If you’re physically active, then pay especially close attention to this because you may get muscle cramps and other problems.
Now, these 3 are the main supplements, I would add to any diet. It’s said that up to 80% of people don’t meet their RDA for magnesium. Seasonal Affective Disorder and depression due to vitamin D deficiencies are also very common. Not to mention the already pro-omega-6 diet.
Essential Nutrients
There are other micronutrients that are very important for optimal health and energy. Like potassium, vitamin K, zinc and b vitamins.
However, you would want to take supplement vitamins and minerals when you’re actually deficient in them. Consuming too many of certain nutrients will hinder other metabolic functions and mineral absorptions. So, taking blood tests a few times a year to assess your nutrient status should be mandatory.
Here are the Essential Minerals to Cover:
Calcium – RDA is 1000-1200 mg. Calcium deficiencies are common in older people or those who don’t consume a lot of dairy. Before supplementing, you should know whether or not you’re actually deficient because too much calcium promotes atherosclerosis and plaque formation. Especially if you’re not getting enough vitamin K2. Calcium and Magnesium absorption compete with each other in doses higher than 250 mg-s so you shouldn’t supplement them together. Consuming more dairy and calcium isn’t healthier and won’t strengthen your bones. Regions with the highest dairy consumption also have the highest rates of bone fractures and osteoporosis because they’re not getting enough vitamin K. It’s not recommended to supplement calcium if you’re eating meat and veggies.